Toilet flush valve control



Jan. 14, 1958 B. T. EzzELL 2,819,471

TOILET FLUSH VALVE CONTROL Filed Aug. 12, 1955 l Y llllll''lllll INVENTOR fM/A/l//A/ 7.' fZZfA/I BY United States 1?@l1ier11t(),Fre

TOILET FLUSH VALVE CONTROL Benjamin T. Ezzell, Harlingen, Tex.

Application August 12, 1955, Serial No. 527,924

z claims. (ci. 4-53) This invention relates to ushing mechanisms for toilets. More particularly, the invention has reference to a generally improved ilush valve, of improved design, together with a means for automatically controlling the operation of the same during ushing of the toilet.

Conventional flush ball valves have certain deficiencies in operation. For example,`a valve of this type often drops too soon, during llushing `of the toilet, and as a result, as substantial part of the water Within the flush tank is not lushed into the bowl. In other instances, the ball valve does not seat properly, and care must be taken totmaintain the same in such a position as to cause it to drop in true vertical alignment with its associated valve seat, else the valve will not seat properly and continued flushing will result.

Still further, in conventional ilushing mechanisms of the type referred to, rather `frequent replacement of the ball valve is required, due to its formation from relatively soft rubber material. In most instances, this is not only an expensejto the householder, but also an inconvenience as regards the necessity of replacing the worn valve.

The `main object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved flush valve for toilets, which will be so designed as to insure that the valve will drop to a closed position at a predetermined time during iiushing of the toilet with a minimum-deviation from the exact time at which it is to drop.

Another object is to provide a valve which will have associated therewith a notch and pawl means, with the pawl means fully controlled in such a manner as to insure that the valve will be held in its upper position, to permit exhaustion of the flush tank contents into the toilet bowl, despite substantial turbulence in the area of the flush valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve as described in which the notch and pawl engagement will be maintained as long as there iswater in the area surrounding the notch and pawl means, with the dropping ofthe water level below said notchiand pawl being automatically operative to effect engagement of the valve, Y

to cause the same to seat immediately.

Another object is to associate with the valve a counterweight means which coooperates with the float-controlled notched means in assuring that the valve will be kept in its upper position while the ushing operation is taking place, said counterweight means being so designed as to, in the absence of water surrounding the same, assert a substantial pressure on the valve means effective to cause the same to be immediately seated.

Another object is to provide a device as stated which will be adapted for use with wholly conventional ush tank and ushing mechanism components.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Patented Jan. 14, 1958 ice Figure l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the lower portion of a toilet flush tank, showing therein a valve according to the present invention in closed position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 isa fragmentary view similar to `Figure l in which the valve is in open position.

The reference numeral 10 generally designates a conventional toilet ush tank, having a bottom wall 12 and a side wall 14. Designated at 16 is a conventional valve seat, having `integral therewith a laterally projecting conduit 18 receiving the lower end of the vertical overflow pipe 20.

Gripping the overilow pipe 20 are semi-circular, complementary clamp sections 22, 24 having outwardly projecting ears formed with registering openings receiving clamping `screws 26. One of the clamp sections is integrally formed with a laterally outwardly projecting bracket 28 having an upwardly extending .free end portion 29 formed with an upwardly opening guide slot 3i), in which is vertically swingable a iloat arm on 32 to the outer end ofwhich` is secured a float 34. Arm 32 at its inner end is pivoted upon a lug 36 on and projecting laterally from the clamp section 24 for swinging movement in a vertical plane. integrally formed upon the arm 32, adjacentlthe pivot axis thereof, is an upwardly projecting hook terminating at its upper end in a pawl 38 which projects toward the lug 36.

A U-shaped yoke 40, disposed at the opposite side of the pipe 20 from the float arm 32, has its legs located at opposite` sides of the clamp structure. The free ends of the legs of the yoke 40 are journaled on horizontally aligned trunnions 42 on the related clamp sections, pivotally mounted the yoke for swinging movement in a vertical plane about an axis spaced above and paralleling that of the iloat arm 32. One of the yoke legs has at its free end an upwardly open notch 44, in which the pawl 38 is adapted to engage in the manner shown in Figure 4.

Projecting from the bight portion the yoke 40 in a direction away from the oat arm 32 and in the plane of the yoke 40, in an elongated horizontally disposed extension 46 having intermediate its ends a depending lug 47 which is connected by a screw 48 (see Figure 3) to the center portion of a flat flush valve Si). The flush valve S0 is preferably formed of a thick disc 51 of relatively soft resilient material such as rubber. Reinforcing the marginal portion of the valve disc 51 is a ring 52 formed of plastic or the like, which is bonded to the upper side of the disc 51.

Secured to the extension 46 at the location of the lug 47 is a counterweight arm 54, in the form of a vertically elongated, obtusely` angulated rod. In the closed position of the valve 50 the arm 54 inclines laterally from the extension andutoward the pipe 20. Secured xedly tothe upper end of the arm 54 is an oval counterweight 56.

The free end of the extension 46 remote from the yoke is integrally formed With an upwardly projecting iinger 58, to whose upper end is connected the lower end of a chain 60. The chain 60 is arranged to be pulled upwardly by a conventional manual flush tank lever (not shown).

In the closed condition of the device, the parts are as shown in Figure 1, the oat arm 32 being horizontally disposed, as is the yoke 40, and the valve 50i rmly seated against the seat 16. The pawl 38 is disengaged from the notch 44 and is out of contact with the adjacent rounded end 45 of the adjacent yoke arm. The weight of the counterwei'ght 56 is` so distributed as to exert a strong downwardl pressure on the'ush' valveY 50, tending to hold the same seated.

When the toilet tank is to be hushed, the chain 6i)` is pulled upwardly, and thisswirg's? the yoke 40 and the valve 50 upwardly tothe positions thereof shown 1nV Figure' 4. In thisl` connection, it will' be understood' that longr as the flush tank is filled with water, there is an up'- ward pressure upon the outer end ofthe float armA 32, by reason of the buoyancy of the completely immersed tioat 34, which tilts the arm 32' upwardly about the axis of its pivot 36.

When the valve 50y is swung upwardly to to the position shown in Figure 4, the notch 4e in the yoke leg engagesthe pawl 38, so that the yoke 4t? is latched in its upwardly swung position, with the counterweight 56 disposed to the left of the yoke pivots 42, so that the hush valve 50 is overbalanced in its open position.

As soon as the water within the flushV tank drops to a level below the float 34, said float will be no longer buoyantly supported, and will become a weight causing the arm 32 to swing downwardly fromA its uptilted position, whereby' the' pawl 38 becomes disengaged' from the notch 44, and the ush valve S immediately' swings downwardly toward its closed position. It is to be noted in this connection that the suction effect of the outgoing water, which ordinarily exerts a strong elect on the operation of a conventional rubber ball valve, tending' to shut such valve prematurely, does not produce such premature closing operation of the instant valve, and neither does the turbulence of the outgoing water, while the pawl 38 is engaged with the notch 44.

It will be noted that the device can be associated with a conventional hush tank structure, the seat 16 and overflow pipe 20 being wholly conventional. By means of the clamp sections, the entire device is' mounted in place upon the ov'ertlow pipe, and except for minor adjustments of the device in a circumferential direction about the overflow pipe to insure that the valve 50 will be properly centered with respect to the valve seat 16, no further mounting procedures are required.

It is believed apparent that' the invention is not necessarily confined to the specic use orv uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may he suited. No1" is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a toilet hush tank valve seat, a vertical overflow pipe rising alongside of said seat, a Clamp surrounding the overow pipe, a bracket xed on and positioned at one side of said clamp, a o'at arm overlying said bracket and horizontally pivoted at one end on said clamp, a float mounted on the opposite end of said oat arm, said oat arm being arranged to rest upon said bracket in a horizontal position of the oat arm, an upstanding pawl on and intermediate the ends of said iioat arm', a valve` arm having a'yokeY on oneY end thereof havv ing legs embracing the overflow pipe and pivoted to op posite sides of said clamp on a level spaced above said float arm pivot, one of the yoke legs being vertically aligned with said float arm, said one yoke leg having an upwardly opening notch, a flush valve on the other end of the valve arm engageabl'e-y with said valve seat in a horizontal position of the valve arm, said tloat arm being arranged to occupy an uptilted position while water is in the tank, and said valve arm being arranged to be uptilted from its horizontal position to engage the notch in said one yoke leg with the pawl on the oat arm whereby the valve arm is maintained in an uptilted position and the valve is unseated from the valve seat while water drains through the valve seat until the water level in the tank subsides below the float arm and permits the float arm to subside toward its horizontal position and disengages the pawl from the notch of the valve arm yoke leg.

2. In combination, a' toilet hush tank valve seat, a. vertical overow pipe rising alongside of said seat, a clamp surrounding the overflow pipe, a bracket fixed on and positioned at one side of said clamp, a tioat arm over-e;

oat arm pivot, one of the yoke legs being vertically aligned with said oat arm, said one yoke leg having an upwardly opening notch, a flush valve on the other end f of the valve arm engageable with said valve seat in a horizontal position of the valve arm, said float arm being arranged to occupy an uptilted position while water is in the tank, and said valve arm being arranged to be uptilted from its horizontal position to engage the notch in said one yoke leg with the pawl on the float arm wherebyl the valve arm is maintained in an uptilted position and the valve is unseated from the valve seat while water drains through the valve seat until the water level in the tank subsides below the float arm and permits the float arm to subside toward its horizontal position and disengage the pawl from the notch of the valve arm yoke leg, and counterweight means on said float arm reaching across said overow pipe toward and above said float arm, said counterweight means serving to maintain the yoke leg notch engaged with the oat arm pawl until the oat arm pawl is disengaged from the notch by subsidence of the oat arm.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,247,211 Boss Nov. 20, 1917 1,298,012 Crane Mar. 25, 1919 1,426,203 Leeberg Aug. 15, 1922 1,514,568 Page et al. Nov. 4, 1924 2,270,989 Asselin Ian. 27, 1942 

